Published: 22.02.2012 18:38
Last updated: 22.02.2012 23:30
Deadline: 10.02.2013 01:00
Type: Offer

Abstract

A Spanish public research organisation and a public foundation have developed a method to store soluble gases –particularly, with greenhouse effect- in permeable geological formations. The system can be applied to any source of combustion gases, is energetically very efficient and significantly reduces the risks of leakages. The proposed method could eliminate the need of capturing CO2. Industrial partners of sectors with emissions of greenhouse gases are being sought to patent license agreement

Description

Reducing greenhouse effect gases emissions to the atmosphere –mainly CO2- is a scientific and technological challenge that mankind must face.
Amongst several alternatives to reach this achievement –biological capture, oceanic storage, mineral storage, recycling…- the sequestration in deep saline aquifers comes out as one of the most promising. The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) has estimated that these techniques would enable to retain safely all the CO2 emitted during next 1000 years.
The traditional concept of storage requires capturing CO2 from the exhaust gases, transporting and storage by injecting it in supercritical state in a permeable geological formation. However the current state-of the art of the technology is not free of drawbacks, namely:
1.Even the supercritical CO2 is less dense than saline water of the aquifer, therefore it tends to float and provoke leakages. To prevent it the gas is stored in geological formation with a low permeability layer as caprock. Verifying the leak-tightness of the caprock requires a large investment.
2.The storage capacity of the aquifers is limited, so it can be forced overpressure or contaminate the ground water.
3.Control of the non-soluble injected gases. As these are not retained in saline solution, they can compromise the mechanical stability of the geologic structure.
4.Impossibility of use a gases mixture, ie, gases directly sourced by power stations of cement factories, without a very high energetic costs.
Not only does the developed technology overcome these mentioned difficulties, but also introduces improvements but also includes high efficiency operations to enhance the ability to retain the soluble gases, while allowing to recover energy from the non-soluble gases and the extraction of geothermal energy.
The proposed method consist of the next stages:
1.Extraction of the brine or salt water, if possible from the same geological formation for storage.
2.Optimize the brine and the gases through several chemical-physical processes such as adding compounds to increase de gases solubility, or cool the salt water. At this stage can be used the energy recovered from the rising non-soluble gases.
3.Independent injection of the brine and the gases to reach a permeable geological formation, always in point located at lower hydraulic elevation that the extraction point.
4.If it is necessary, it is possible to mix the brine and the gases with a suitable mechanism.

Innovative Aspects:
Compared to the conventional methods of CO2 geological storage in saline aquifers, the advantages of the proposed method are:
1.- High flexibility. The method allows the simultaneous injection of pure CO2 (gaseous, liquid or supercritical) or mixed with other gases. In some cases, it does not require a previous capture of CO2.
2.- Low energy cost. The recovered energy from the non-soluble gases balances the most part of the energy necessary for the injection.
3.- Very low risk of leakage, because the brine with dissolved CO2 tends to sink. Requirements for the caprock are dramatically eased.
4.- Overpressure is prevented, as the CO2 and the more soluble gases are injected dissolved and the volume of injected liquid is similar to the volume extracted from the same aquifer.
5.- Optimized operations to enhance the solubility of gases (high
efficiency mixing, cooling, adding chemicals)

Technology domains

• Plant Design and Maintenance
• Fossil Energy Sources
• Land and Sea Disposal
• Environmental Engineering/Technology
• Air Pollution/Treatment

Current stage of development

Development phase - Laboratory tested

Exploitation of RTD results

EU RTD results (FP4 to FP7)

Intellectual property rights

Intellectual property rights

Patent(s) applied for but not yet granted

Comments

Currently, there are three prototype- wells under construction, in the north of Spain. They are expected to be in function in 2013.

Submitting organisation

Type of organisation: Research institute/University
Size of organisation: > 500

Collaboration

Type of collaboration

• License Agreement

Comments

- Type of partner sought: Industrial partners of sectors with high emissions of greenhouse gases.

- Specific area of activity of the partner: Thermal power stations, cement-concrete production, petrol.

- Task to be performed by the partner sought: Further development and provide specifications to adapt the technology through a patent license agreement.